Ad-hoc calculations are calculations that you can create and update as you work with a field on a shelf in the view. Ad-hoc calculations are also known as type-in or in-line calculations.
Create an Ad-Hoc Calculation
Double-click on an existing field to start editing. | ![]()
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You can also double-click on an empty shelf or on an empty part of a shelf to create a new calculation. | ![]()
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Type to update the expression, or drag new fields into the expression from the Data pane or elsewhere in the view. | ![]()
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Press Enter, Tab, or click outside the expression to commit the expression, close the calculation, and update the view. Press Ctrl+Enter (or Command+Enter on a Mac) to commit the expression and update the view without closing the calculation. | ![]()
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Ad-hoc calculations are supported on the Rows, Columns, Marks, and Measure Values shelves; they are not supported on the Filters or Pages shelves.
If you are working in Tableau Desktop, errors in ad-hoc calculations are underlined in red. Hover over the error to see a suggestion for resolving it.
Note: Ad-hoc calculations are not named, but are saved when you close the workbook. If you want to save an ad-hoc calculation for use in other workbook sheets, copy it to the Data pane. You will be prompted to name the calculation. {On server it just deposits it w/o rename prompt.} Once you name an ad-hoc calculation, it is the same as a calculation you created with the calculation editor, and is available on other sheets in the workbook. See Get Started with Calculations in Tableau
Multi-Line Ad-Hoc Calculations
As you're typing an ad-hoc calculation, you can press Shift+Enter to start a new line. However, only the current line is ever visible in an ad-hoc calculation, so this can be confusing for anyone viewing or editing the calculation who has no way of knowing that it contains multiple lines.
The first line of a multi-line ad-hoc calculation can be a comment that serves as a title for the calculation. This is the only line that is visible on the shelf after the calculation is committed:
//City and State
[City] + ', ' + [State]
Ad-Hoc Calculations and Aggregation
If Tableau determines that the expression you enter is a measure (that is, returns a number), it automatically adds an aggregation to the expression when you commit the expression. For example, if you type DATEDIFF('day',[Ship Date],[Order Date])
in an ad-hoc calculation and then press Enter, what you will see is the following:
SUM(DATEDIFF('day',[Ship Date],[Order Date]))
If you use a field that is already an aggregated field (for example, SUM([Profit])) in an ad-hoc calculation, the result is an aggregate calculation. For example, when you commit an ad-hoc calculation SUM([Profit])/SUM([Sales])
, the result is:
AGG(SUM([Profit])/SUM([Sales]))
For more information on aggregate calculations, see Aggregate Functions in Tableau(Link opens in a new window).
Ad-Hoc Calculations for Insight and Experimentation
Typically you create ad-hoc calculations on-the-fly to do things like
Test a hunch
Try a what-if scenario
Debug a complex calculation
Managing Ad-Hoc Calculations
Use the following keystrokes to manage ad-hoc calculations.
Double-click in an existing field on the Rows, Columns, Marks, or Measure Values shelf to open it as an ad-hoc calculation.
Double-click elsewhere on any of these shelves to create a new ad-hoc calculation from scratch.
Press Esc to cancel an ad-hoc calculation.
Press Enter to commit an ad-hoc calculation, which updates the view and closes the ad-hoc calculation. Press Ctrl+Enter to commit the change and update the view without closing the ad-hoc calculation.
If you are working in Tableau Desktop, and there is a field to the right of the current ad-hoc calculation on the same shelf, pressing Tab opens that field as an ad-hoc calculation. If there is no field to the right of the current ad-hoc calculation on the shelf, pressing Tab opens a new ad-hoc calculation. Shift+Tab has the same functionality, except it moves to the left.
When you double-click a named field on a shelf to edit it, you are not changing the original named field.
In addition, the following rules govern the use of ad-hoc calculations.
Only one ad-hoc calculation can be open at a time.
If a field that has a geographic role or a fiscal year setting associated with it is added to an ad-hoc calculation, the ad-hoc calculation inherits that role or setting.
The right-click context menu for an ad-hoc calculation supports the same options that would be available for any other field in the view of the same type, including the ability to change aggregation or format.
Ad-hoc calculations are not available when you create groups, sets, hierarchies, or parameters.
Ad-hoc calculations are valid for creating trend lines, forecasts, and reference lines, bands, and distributions.